In today's modern motor vehicles so called multifunction display and operating devices are commonly used, which are used to display information about vehicle systems, vehicle functions, services internal to and/or external to the vehicle and so on, as well as for context dependent operating devices. For this purpose a display surface of the display device is preferably coupled with a position sensitive sensor. For example, the display device is designed as a touch screen on which virtual control elements are shown. Likewise, the display device, also if it is not designed as a touch screen, may be used to assign functions, functionality and so on to each of other control elements positioned around the display device or spaced from the display device. This is to mean, that a so called control element mapping is shown on the display surface, which indicates the function, functionality and so on for a dedicated control element. Such information indicating a control element mapping, and virtual control elements which are displayed on a display surface, are considered as operating information together with such information, which is intended to support or allow an operation.
In order to create a clear and comprehensible user interface for a driver and/or a co-driver of a motor vehicle it is arranged according to the art to organize the single functions, functionalities and so on into display and operating context. Therefore, in a display and operating context single functions may be combined which, for example, characterize a specific vehicle system and/or are necessary for the operation thereof. Here, preferably information about the respective vehicle system, the respective vehicle function and so on corresponding with a display context is displayed in a display mode. In a second mode, an operation of the respective vehicle system or the functions linked thereto may preferably be carried out. Such a mode is also known as an operating mode. For this purpose, operating information preferably comprising control elements and/or a control element mapping is displayed on the display surface.
From DE 102 31 806 A1 a method and an apparatus for operating groups of functions and/or functions comprising a number of control elements are known, wherein the control elements comprise view boxes. There it is allowed for, that depending on the operation level different function groups and/or function assignments are generated in the view boxes of the control elements. This means, that depending on the context different functions and/or function groups may be assigned to each of the control elements. Thereby it is feasible to actuate a plurality of functions and functionalities using a relatively small number of control elements.
From WO 2005/066750 A1 it is known a operating system for a vehicle comprising a screen display having multiple display areas for displaying items of a structured menu comprising multiple menu levels, a manually operated actuation means for selection and/or activation of at least one item in a current menu level of the menu structure, speech control means for a redundant selection and/or activation of at least one item from the menu structure, which simultaneously forms a key word for the speech control means. There it is allowed for that the items of the menu structure are divided into different groups, wherein a first group comprises items which may only be selected and/or chosen using the manually operated actuation means and wherein a second group comprises items which may be selected and/or activated using the manually operated actuation means and/or the speech control means, and wherein the second group is divided into at least two item groups which may be defined using simple rules and which determine what kind of key words may currently be input for operating the menu.
In order to allow for a better delivery of information a multifunction display and operating device is described in the not yet published patent application DE 10 2007 005 026.9 of the applicant of the current application which divides a display area of the display surface into a context information area and a status area. In the status area information is displayed which may frequently be related to one display and operating context, which, however, also is of high interest to a user in one or more other display and operating context. In particular, the information from the status area of the proposed multifunction display and operating device comprises context identifier information, which comprises information about different selectable display and operating context. Furthermore, the status area preferably comprises information which is frequently desired by a user, for example preselected temperature values for the interior temperature of a motor vehicle, information about a replay status of an audio system, about a current media source for the audio system (compact disc player, radio, MP3 player, memory card, mobile telephone and so on), a time, a exterior temperature or the like. Here, the information interest of the user also existing in an operating context is served in an improved way.
All known devices have in common, that the display surface of the multifunction display and operating device is limited. In particular, in an operating context the operating information has to be displayed in a way adapted to the needs of the operator. In particular, in situations in which a selection between multiple similar elements or an input of a value has to be carried out during operation, these are feasible only unsatisfactory using known apparatuses and methods. An actuating action carrying out or supporting such a selection is denominated as a selection actuating action or in short a selecting action.